Seidelman grew up in a middle-class New Jersey neighborhood and studied art in Philadelphia and film at New York University. Her satiric flair earned student film awards for her shorts, AND YOU ACT LIKE ONE TOO, DEFICIT and YOURS TRULY, ANDREA G. STERN. On the strength of these productions she managed to raise $80,000 to make her first feature, SMITHEREENS (1982), the story of a selfish hustler (Susan Berman) with ambitions to become the manager of a punk rock band. The success of SMITHEREENS in America and Europe brought her the attention of the major studios and the chance to direct DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1985), a hit comedy of an identity mixup between a New Jersey housewife (Rosanna Arquette) and a downtown New York rocker (Madonna).
Seidelman's next three films gathered some critical support but were less successful at the box office. MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987) focused on a savvy public relations expert (Ann Magnuson) and her attempts to promote an android astronaut (John Malkovich). COOKIE (1989) was the comic story of a mob hood (Peter Falk) and his wacky daughter (Emily Lloyd). With SHE-DEVIL (1989), Seidelman explored the vengeance a dumpy housewife (Roseanne Barr) wreaks on her romantic rival (Meryl Streep).
Working mostly in television froom 1995, she has directed GAUDI AFTERNOON (2001, also executive producer), starring Judy Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Lili Taylor and Juliette Lewis A funny detective comedy shot it Barcelona, it was compared to films by Almodovar. Seidelman directed the three episodes, including the pilot, of "Sex and the City" (1998) and the TV series "Now and Again" (1999) and "The Ranch" (2004). In 2005, Seidelman wrote, produced and directed THE BOYNTON BEACH BEREAVEMENT CLUB, starring Joseph Bologna, Dyan Cannon, Len Cariou, Sally Kellerman, Brenda Vaccaro and Renée Taylor.
Nominated for Achievement in Live Action Short Films 1993: THE DUTCH MASTER - Producer (w. Jonathan Brett)
1 nomination